Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2010-11: Zach Sanford played for Pinkerton Academy in New Hampshire and was named 3rd team All-State as a sophomore.

2011-12: Sanford was named the New Hampshire High School Player of the Year as Pinkerton Academy captured the state championship. The junior scored 36 goals with 33 assists in 21 games as the Astros finished 19-2, defeating Manchester Memorial, 3-2, in the championship game.

2012-13: Sanford skated for the Middlesex Islanders (formerly the New England Junior Monarchs) in the Eastern Junior Hockey League, foregoing his senior season at Pinkerton Academy. Skating primarily alongside Yale recruits Chris Izmerlian and Michael Doherty, he scored 12 goals with 24 assists and had 22 penalty minutes in 37 games. The Islanders reached the EJHL playoff finals – falling to the New Jersey Hitmen in a best of three series. Sanford scored 4 goals with 4 assists and had 8 penalty minutes in seven playoff games. In February he committed to playing hockey at Boston College in 2014-15. Rated 83rd amongst North American skaters in Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings, Sanford was rated 60th in the final rankings and was selected by Washington in the second round (61st overall) in the 2013 NHL Draft.

2013-14: Sanford spent a year in the USHL — skating for the Western Conference champion Waterloo Black Hawks. One of several scorers on a dominant Waterloo team, he scored 17 goals with 18 assists and was +15 with 60 penalty minutes in 52 games. The Black Hawks won 44 of 60 regular season games and reached the Clark Cup finals against Indiana. Sanford scored 5 goals with 7 assists and was +5 with 8 penalty minutes in 12 playoff games.

Talent Analysis

Sanford is a raw but talented two-way forward with good size and a knack for puck movement. His playmaking skills and vision are exceptional and he often elevates the play of those around him. He isn’t overly strong and could stand to pack on some muscle to his rather lanky frame. Sanford's skating could use some work but he has made a smooth transition from junior to college hockey and possesses an intriguing package of both skill and size.

Future

Sanford is in his freshman season at Boston College in 2014-15 and has stepped right into the lineup for an Eagles' team that is one of the top squads in the country. One of three freshmen along with leading scorer Alex Tuch (Minnesota) and 2015 draft eligible defenseman Noah Hanifan to have an immediate impact, Sanford should continue to develop as a prospect during his college career as he matures physically and continues to refine his game. Moving forward he is a potential top-six or top-nine player due to his skill set.

Share this story

Photo: Madison Bowey’s goal and three assists helped Team Canada win the gold medal at the World Junior Championships (Image courtesy of Dennis Pajot/Getty Images)

The Washington Capitals have promoted a pair of prime-time NHL prospects into their lineup this year, with the highly-touted duo of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky making the team out of camp. Although fluctuating ice time has somewhat limited their overall impact, both were in the early season Calder Trophy conversation—and have continued to produce solid numbers. Read more»

Share this story

Photo: Defenseman Madison Bowey is off to a strong start with the Kelowna Rockets, managing seven goals and 19 assists in his first 19 games. (courtesy of Marissa Baecker/Getty Images)

The junior prospects of the Washington Capitals have been all over the radar to start the 2014-15 season. With just seven names on the list for 2013-14, the ranks have thinned out quite a bit as former junior players Brian Pinho and Zach Sanford have headed to the NCAA to develop their games at the collegiate level. That leaves just five prospects at the junior/CHL level, with varying degrees of experience and success.

This season, Hockey East features 50 NHL prospects representing all the member schools. Notre Dame leads all Hockey East teams with 10 prospects, followed by Boston College with nine and Boston University with seven. Meanwhile, the University of Connecticut makes their Hockey East debut this season, bringing the number of member schools to 12. Read more»

Share this story

Photo: Defenseman Nate Schmidt is one of several mobile defensemen in the Washington Capitals system. Schmidt was signed as a free agent in 2013. (courtesy of Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

With opening night having come to pass, the Washington Captials can count two major prospects in the professional level now. Heavily-touted prospects Andre Burakovsky and Evgeny Kuznetsov played for the Capitals on opening night of the 2014-15 season against the Montreal Canadiens, with Burakovsky picking up the Capitals first goal of the season.